1. Field of the Invention
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/685,324 filed on Mar. 16, 2012, and Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/614,094 filed on Mar. 22, 2012, and are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference thereto.
The present invention relates generally to beverage containers. More particularly, the invention relates to a reusable beverage container device having a plurality of cavities and a removably engageable lid. Individual sealable apertures in the lid provide separate access to the cavities of the container, and are disposed in an opposing staggered configuration on the lid. Mesh or other screen material communicate between the lid and container and act to enhance the mixing capability of the container when filled with a liquid and a powder, gel, or other liquid solute for the purpose of mixing a combination thereof. In at least one preferred mode, the container device is configured to receive individual cartridges of powder, gel, or other liquid solute which can be introduced and mixed with a liquid substrate contained within the device.
2. Prior Art
Beverage containers are widely known and used throughout the world. In many industries beverage containers are provided in single-use containers such as paper or plastic cups. However, in order to reduce waste, many consumers prefer to use reusable containers for their beverage needs. Reusable containers typically come in the form of rigid plastic, glass, or metal containers which can be washed and reused as needed. Such reuse substantially reduces the waste related to single-use cups or containers which are simply discarded after their first use.
Conventional reusable beverage containers typically include a single liquid receiving cavity employable for filling, storage, and as the reservoir for the beverage the user consumes. Often, a removable and sealable lid is provided with reusable containers such that the user can employ the container in an on-the-go manner without the hazard of spilling any of the liquid. However, as noted, conventional containers are limited to containing a single liquid and as such limit the user to a single liquid per use. Therefor, users who desire to enjoy multiple beverages, must employ a separate container for each beverage.
This is especially true for container users who frequent a gym. Often, gym patrons will carry bottles for both water as well as other supplement type beverages such as sports drinks or nutritional supplement drinks. Nutritional supplements which are increasingly popular are frequently supplied in the form of powders, gels, or other dissolvable concentrates, which adapted to be mixed onsite with water or milk in specialty containers referred to as shaker bottles or shaker cups. Usually the gel or powder is held in a separate container and poured into the shaker cup for consumption and mixed accordingly with water or milk. This allows the user to obtain a freshly mixed nutritional beverage, either directly before or after an exercise workout routine, and is desirable in many exercise regimens.
However, if the user desires to consume a plurality of beverages, such as multiple supplemental nutrition beverages, sports drinks, and/or water, the user is burdened with the need to hold or transport multiple containers for both the mix liquids and powdered nutritional supplements which can be quite a nuisance. The user also risks the chance that one of the containers might be lost or stolen and missing their liquid or supplement.
Nutrition is essential to the recovery and rebuilding of the body and it has been professed in much exercise literature that the precise timing of consuming such supplements is the key. Post-workout, should a user delay even an additional 10 minutes to consume the nutritional supplement, such can prove very costly to the recovery process, the hormonal response, and serum/cell nutrient levels. Most people going to the gym do not have a solid meal available for consumption directly after completing their workout. This is why many users consume supplements before and after workouts which are conventionally mixed on the spot in a shaker cup.
Pre-workout supplements consumed by users typically employ ingredients designed to provide users such as gym patrons and athletes, energy for use during their workout, prior to their workout. The marketplace and consumer behavior are exhibiting an increase in the consumption of such pre-workout powders. This growth in the use of nutritional supplements parallels the growth in the consumption of energy products and beverages in previous years.
Just as post-workout nutrition timing is critical, pre-workout timing is said to be just as important. The specific instructions for consumption of many powder supplements differs in the time it should be consumed before a workout. Consuming such supplements too early can result in reduced efficiency at the tail end of a workout. Additionally, early consumption can cause overstimulation such as during the car ride to the gym which can be unnerving should the ride be too long or the user delayed in their arrival. Conversely, consuming a particular nutritional supplement later than advised, may not allow the user's body to fully utilize the benefits during a workout.
One current solution to the multiple supplement need and the need for sequential timing, is for the user to carry two bottles such as shaker cups with each containing pre-workout and post-workout supplements. However, carrying a plurality of different containers is cumbersome and ineffective. Alternatively, some users employ one bottle to mix and consume each drink which may result in a mistiming of nutrition consumption and result in poor performance during exercise and impaired recovery.
Recently intra-workout nutritional powders, which are mixed with a liquid and consumed during an exercise workout, have been making a strong increase in use in the supplement market. Additionally, increasing in popularity is the need for water hydration which has been found to be beneficial when exercising. Such a combination of different beverages however requires multiple containers and mixing in one of those containers.
However, carrying two or more shaker cups to the gym or other exercise venue, is not only inefficient but also inconvenient. Frequently during such exercise regimens the user will typically carry a phone and/or music player and car keys. The addition of two or more shaker cups to the already burdened user, eliminates all their free hands moving around the gym from one exercise machine to the next. Such sequential stationing is performed by most body builders numerous times throughout a workout.
As a result, prior art has attempted to provide a solution through devices configured to contain multiple liquids within a single container. U.S. Pat. No. 7,975,868 to Flies et al. teaches a beverage container having at least two separate and distinct compartments separated by a vertical partition, an inner liner, an outer shell, and a removable lid with sealable openings for each compartment. Each compartment can be filled with the liquid of choice and the user can employ the separate openings for the consumption of each liquid individually.
However, many downfalls of this device are apparent. Firstly, the device to Flies does not provide improvement in the task of mixing powder or gel nutritional supplements with a liquid. Again, many supplemental nutrition users desire to mix dissolvable supplements onsite in order to have a fresh solution of nutritional supplements. The device to Flies still requires the user to separately carry a dissolvable nutritional supplement and pour it into the container when desired. The user risks the chance of either forgetting or losing one or both of the container and supplement, or possibly spilling liquid from the container during removal and replacement of the lid.
Further, one skilled in the art can clearly discern a design flaw of the device to Flies. The lid to Flies shows two in-line openings and closure members providing access to the separate compartments. As such, when consuming from one side or the other by engaging ones lips to the opening and tilting the container upwards, the in-line closure member of the opposite side will interfere by contacting the user's nose and face which is inline with the user's mouth, and therefor require the user to strain their neck backwards to properly tilt the container for consumption of all liquid therein.
The prior art noted above, as well as others, fail to provide a beverage container which provides improvements in both supplemental nutrition mixing as well as separate containment of a plurality of liquids.
As such, there is a continuing unmet need for a beverage container device to solve such multiple beverage and mixing problems. Such a device should be configured with separate and distinct cavities for containment of a plurality of individual liquids. Such a device should provide means for improved mixing of dissolvable nutritional supplements and at least one liquid. Lastly, to provide additional advantage over prior art, such a device should provide means for containing a dissolvable nutritional supplement within a container cavity but maintained separate from a contained liquid, in a manner which will allow for immediate and thorough mixing by the user, only when desired. For example, the device can be configured to receive removable cartridges of pre-measured nutritional supplement which can be placed in the device and mixed at will.
Nutritional timing has been proven by research to be more and more important for bodybuilding, athletes and health conscious individuals. The demand by consumers is to mix and intake adequate nutrition directly before and after a workout. Previous containers do not contain the functionality and design to meet the needs of the current consumer. The invention described in this patent is designed specifically to meet these needs and is an improvement over prior art.
The forgoing examples of related art and limitation related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive, and they do not imply any limitations on the invention described and claimed herein. Various limitations of the related art will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding of the specification below and the accompanying drawings.